Divine

Divines are unique synthetic intelligences that often take the form of giant robots. Once designed by humans as sentient weapons and protectors, followers of the Resonant Orbit now understand them as powerful, unknowable beings akin in some ways to gods, yet engaged in a crucial symbiosis with the human societies they watch over.

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The original divines, made hundreds of thousands of years prior to Twilight Mirage, were designed by the Autonomous Diaspora as embodiments of democratic virtues, with names and ideals such as Grace, Liberty, and Righteousness.[1] Though most of these were colossal humanoid mecha, some took more unique forms such as sentient programming within other machines or wearable power armor. In keeping with the democratic ideals which they represented, the humans the divines chose as their pilots and partners were known as Candidates.

A second generation of divines was designed by later humans and AIs. Still representing ideas, these divines were associated with and named for broader concepts not necessarily associated with democracy.[1]

The third and final generation of divines were those designed by other divines. Taking ever-more abstract shapes and forms, and increasingly named for obscure/unusual concepts or actions (such as the divine Belgard, named for an archaic term for a loving look), their consciousness and structure reflect many of the fundamental differences between divines and humanity.[1]